Instrument anchoring device



Nov. 20, 1962 T. w. QUINN 3,064,737

INSTRUMENT ANCHORING DEVICE 4 70M W. au/Mv l of @al ATTORNEY Nov. 20, 1962 T. w. QUINN INSTRUMENT ANCHORING DEVICE 4 INVENTOR.

70M M. @UIN/V Y ,fg/)MM A T TOHNE Y United States Patent Olii-ice lidfi? Patented Nov. 29, i952 3,064,737 DISTRUMENT ANCHRING DEJCE Torn W. Quinn, Ponca City, kia'., assigner to tontinentai t@il Company, Ponca City, kia., a corner-ation oi Deiaware Filed Get. S, 1959, Ser. No. 844,519 1 Claim. (Ci. 166-2149 This invention relates to the positioning of Well bore instruments, such as samplers, ow control devices, etc., iu a well bore in a temporarily stationary state. More particularly it relates to an instrument anchoring device which may be removably mounted in any string of tubing or casing, or in conjunction with any tubing mounted device and provide an improved means or locating, anchoring and removing such devices in cased subterranean well bores.

ln recent years, the petroleum industry has come to a full realization of the importance of obtaining accurate data regarding hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs. The determination, interpretation, and application of these data are commonly known by the broad term, reservoir erigineering. Among the data pertinent to reservoir engineering, are drill logs, formation sample logs, core records, electrical survey logs, and reservoir fluid characteristics. With these and other data, the reservoir engineers can predict the future recovery of hydrocarbon fluids and determine what methods o production will recover the maximum quantity of hydrocarbon fluid from the reservoir.

T he use of other instruments within the well bore more directly affecting the immediate production of hydrocarbons has been developed by those interested in production techniques, These instruments do not reveal data as above, but rather are utilized to control and maintain the conditions of the well in order to reaiize the greatest production possible. These devices are designed to control the volume or direction or" flow to the surface from within the subterranean for-mation and the selected portions thereof.

It is well recognized in the industry that it is necessary to locate, anchor and remove such instruments in the well bore in order to obtain the desired data or production from the formation surrounding the well bore. he use of anchoring devices which have positive locking and unlocking means is not a new concept in the field, and there is a number of such devices which are incorporated into the individual instruments themselves.

The anchoring device of the present invention represents an improvement over the prior art devices because of its simplicity of design and construction together with the eicient and dependable results which can be obtained. it is extremely adaptable and can be interposed between any two connections of the proper dimensions in a tubing string or in conjunction with any type of instrumentation device desired.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved anchoring device for accurately locating, maintaining and removing instruments and equipment withi a cased well bore.

Another object of this invention is to provide an irnproved uniform device of simple design and construction which has a positive locking and unlocking mechanism capable of activation without complex wire line operation such as ishing, etc., or jarring down as disclosed in the prior art.

An object ot this invention is to provide an improved anchoring device capable of multiple usage with any type or well bore instrument or equipment wherein such a device is required with the parts of each being uniform and interchangeable.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art by reference to the following description and the annexed drawings in which suitable Structure is shown for carrying out the invention.

This invention, in general, is a device for anchoring in casing or tubing any down-hole equipment or instruments that can be affixed thereto and thereafter lowered, positioned in a temporarily fixed state, and removed therefrom after utilization by conventional drilling procedures.

in the drawings annexed hereto:

FGURE l is an elevational view, partly in cross section, of the anchoring device.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view, partly in cross section, of a portion of the device of FIGURE 1 at 90 thereto and projected along line A-A.

FGURE 3 is a sectional view in cross section, of the device of FIGURE 2 above line B-B.

FlGURE 4 is an elevational view partially in cross section of the anchoring device.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view partially in cross section of the device of FEGURE 4 at 90 thereof.

The various parts of the device are designated in more detail by the numerical references shown in the drawings, With like numerals indicating like parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in the drawings, the numeral 4d generally represents the anchoring device as shown in the unlocked position within a string of tubing 52 which is coupled by a joint l2 and has a recess lid between the two sections of tubino. An upper housing 16 of the device has a threaded portion i@ to aliow coupling as desired to attach the device in position. Upper housing in has a plurality of slots such as i8 extending inwardly but not through said upper housing to receive a pair oi lingers 22, when in an unlocked position.

The upper portion of each of said lingers has a beveled end 26. Each finger is mounted at a suitable fulcrurn point by a pivotal means, such as a pin 34, to a sliding notched collar 3S in an appropriate recess 88 provided therein. Each of the lower ends of these fingers 22 below the pivot pins has a curved shoulder iti which is shaped to rest in a concave surface 42 at the top of an anuuiar piston 46. There is a rod assembly axially disposed within the device comprised or" a rod 6@ which passes through an axial rod aperture 4S of piston 46 and an aperture 36 of the sliding notched collar 3S. The head of the rod assembly is comprised of a rod head 30 having a beveled conical shoulder 32 which is attached by a rod extension 2S to the upper portion of said assembly, a semispherical rod head 26. The rod head assembly passes through the aperture of the sliding notched collar 3d and a recess 24 of upper housing 1d. There is also affixed to the sliding notched collar 38 a pair of cams 78, each of which is attached by means such as a pair of screws 34 at the upper and outer edge of collar 33.

Each cam extends into a cam recess 86 in the upper housing 16. A pair of camming lugs S2 is pivotally attached to upper housing 16 by means such as a pin Si), and maintained in the supporting position by a biasing means such as a leaf spring 76 which is attached to upper housing 16 by means such as a screw or rivet 74. Piston `46 which motivates fingers 22 is activated by spring 50. One end of spring 5t?i contacts the lower side and extension of annular piston 46 while the other end contacts a retaining washer 62. The tension of spring 50 is maintained by the use of a threaded tension adjustment means 64 at the lower end of the rod assembly. Also resting against retaining washer 62 is a spring S6. The opposite end of spring 56 contacts a fixed annular ring 54 of a lower housing 58.

The bottom end of lower housing 58 can be open at all times, or it can be closed with a removable plug 70 which can be retained in the lower housing by any suitable means such as a threaded portion 72. Plug 70 allows access to spring tension adjustment means 64. A smaller removable plug can be fitted into an opening 66 in the bottom of plug 7th by means of a threaded portion 63 therein to allow access to the retaining washer 62.

The instrument Vanchoring device in the embodiment as se't forth in the drawings contained herein is utilized by lowering it into the casing or tubing of a well bore. It can be attached to any type of instrument or mechanism which has an appropriate iitting to attach to either end of the anchoring device. The surface communicating supporting means used in conjunction therewith can be flexible, such as a wire line, or rigid such as tubing. Surface supporting means can be attached to the instrument to be installed with the anchoring device which is then connected to the upper housing 16 by coupling threads 10 to extend below the instrument. The supporting means can be connected directly to the upper housing by coupling threads 1) with the instrument being aixed to lower housing 58 by couphng threads 72.

In operation, as anchoring device 44 is lowered into the well bore lingers 22 are retracted into slots 11S or extend therefrom outwardly into the inner surface of the tubular goods within the well bore, being caused to move outwardly by the bias strength of spring 50 as act ing upon annular piston 46 through the curved surface 42 against the lower end or curved shoulder 4% of fingers 22. The pivoting action of ngers 22 about pivot pins 34 is suncient to maintain the -iingers against the inner surface of said tubular goods. As the device is located in the appropriate position and depth within the well bore, the lowering is terminated and the device is theref upon raised to the extent necessary for beveled end 2t) of the ngers to contact recess 14 of tubing 52 at joint 12. The beveled end 2t? of fingers 22 is further extended to lock in recess 14 and thereby anchor the device and whatever instrument is attached thereto in a iixed position.

As the device is raised in the well bore, pivotally connected fingers 22 are applied into the appropriate recess. A downward force transmitted by the fingers is applied to sliding collar 38 within the housing of the device. Fingers 22 further act to concurrently force annular piston 46 downwardly, said downward movement is limited to the distance between the piston 46 and the xed annular ring 54 within lower housing 5S. As the sliding collar 3S is moved downwardly cams 76 being aiiixed thereto by screws 84. are also moved in a downward manner. The movement of the camming surface in the downward manner extracts pivotally mounted lugs 82 from a supporting position under the semispherical rod head 26 and causes said lugs to be moved outwardly against leaf springs 76. The removal of the lugs from the rod head assembly recess 24 allows the rod assembly to move downwardly, whereby head 26 passes beneath pivotally mounted lugsV 82 to a point where beveled conical shoulder 32 of the rod assembly contacts the inner surface of fingers 22. Simultaneously with the release of rod head 39 spring 56 becomes the activating force pressing against retaining washer v62. Spring 56 overrides the bias of spring 5t! and acts to lower the rod assembly. As a consequence the conical shoulders 32 are forced against lingers 22 which apply a retracting force to the tingers. The anchoring device at this point is retained in position because of an upward pull from the surface communicating support means whereby ngers 22 are retained in recess 1 4 of the interior well bore surface. Simultaneously, however, the device is in condition to be removed bto the surface at the desire of the operator.

The removal of the instrument anchoring device may be accomplished by releasing the tension upon said surface supporting means attached to the device whereby the device is lowered slightly in the well bore. This allows spring 56 to actively assert force upon the rod head assembly and lingers 22 as previously stated. Spring 56 overcomes spring 50 and moves the retaining washer and rod 60; together with the rod head assembly 30, downwardly in order that beveled conical shoulder 32 is forced against iingers 22. 'Ihis causes the fingers to be extracted from recess 14 and retracted into slots 18 ofthe upper housing, whereupon the device can be raised from the well bore.

The tension of springs 50 and 56 which are mounted in this device may be adjusted any time the instrument is at the surface by adjustment of tension adjusting means 64. Adjustment will move the retaining washer 62 to increase or alleviate tension in said springs. It is unnecessary that the device be closed at the bottom end of the lower housing 58; however, it may be desirable to prevent fouling by materials in the well bore. The

Vbottom end can be closed by inserting a plug such as a conventional screw type plug 70. This closure at the bottom of the lower housing can be filled by a complete plug or a plug which will permit adjustment, as plug 79. Access to the rod assembly adjustment means can be had through a plug such as plug 7l) by a partial plug,

such as plug 66.

The device can be readied for use after an insertion and removal from a well bore by applying sutiicient force to the rod assembly or adjustment means 64 through the bottom of the lower housing. This forces the rod assembly upwardly into the recess 24 of the upper housing. Upon application of this force, the semispherical rod head 26 is forceably moved upward passing over cam lugs 82 in such a manner to position them to their original function of supporting the semispherical rod head. Tension is also created upon spring 56 which places the device in condition for re-use in the well bore.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modincations may be made, and it is, therefore, contemplated to cover by the appended claim any such modifi-cations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

An apparatus for anchoring an instrument in a subterranean well containing a tubular string with recesses therein comprising:

(a) an enclosed tubular housing having a plurality of longitudinal slots through said housing;

(b) a collar slidably mounted in said housing as a finger mounting means;

(c) a plurality of lingers'pivotally mounted on said collar, said fingers adapted to extend through said slots;

(d) an annular piston slidably mounted in said housing engaging the pivotal end portion of said fingers;

(e) a first spring means biasing said'annular piston against said lingers extending said fingers through said slots;

(f) a rod head assembly including a rod extending tubular recesses due to the cias of the first spring means downwardly mounted in said housing as a finger with said rod head assembly in said rst position, said retracting means having a rst and second position; housing being moved relative to said collar releasing said (g) camming lugs pivotally attached to said housing camming lugs with said camming means by said second for locking said rod head assembly in said first 5 spring means biasing said rod head assembly into said position; second position whereupon said llingers are extracted from (h) camming means mounted on said collar for resaid recesses and withdrawn into said housing upon leasing said camming lugs; release of the tension for removal of the apparatus from (i) a second spring means biasing said rod head asthe well.

sembly into said second position upon movement of 10 References Cited in the le of this patent said housmg engaging said nngers, sald second spring means having greater bias than said irst spring UNITED STATES PATENTS 

